by Amanda Cosco @ Electric Runway

Mon Sep 18 10:30:55 PDT 2017

In an age of Instagram and Snapchat, fans want to be even closer and more connected to the athletes they admire. Towards the end of last week, NIKE, in collaboration with the NBA, announced the NIKE NBA Connected Jersey, the first NBA jersey that gives the wearer an all-access pass into the world of their favourite team and players. Introducing the Nike @NBA Connected Jersey. Learn more at https://t.co/j10gHf22o3 #NIKExNBA pic.twitter.com/gcJ7DGWDGb — Nike (@Nike) September 16, 2017 Using NIKE technology, each jersey has an embedded NFC chip that, when scanned with a mobile phone, will launch real-time content on the user’s mobile phone, including pre-game footage, highlight packages, and players’ favourite music playlists. The NikeConnect app will also deliver exclusive fan offers and experiences. “In our new connected era, NIKE will lead with products that build a relationship with our consumers,” said Trevor Edwards, President, NIKE Brand. “With NikeConnect, we deliver to basketball fans everywhere the personal and premium experiences we know they love.” This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a connected fan jersey. Last year, Billie Whitehouse and her team at Wearable X developed the Football Fan Shirt for The Superbowl. Rather than delivering content, the shirt delivered vibrations to […]

by Jerry Bowles @ diginomica

Fri Sep 22 06:22:01 PDT 2017

After two years of wandering in the wilderness, the Modernizing Government Technology Act has finally cleared both houses of Congress. Will it be enough to jumpstart a government movement toward newer, more secure IT?

by Stuart Lauchlan @ diginomica

Fri Sep 22 04:02:17 PDT 2017

Uber is banned from the streets of London. What does this say about the UK capital's pre-Brexit attitude to innovation and the role of the 'gig economy' at a time when it's trying to attract tech inward investment?

by Amanda Cosco @ Electric Runway

Sun Sep 24 06:17:38 PDT 2017

On this week’s episode of the Electric Runway podcast, we sit down with Emily Welsch, the founder of PIXI Cycling. PIXI is a line of technical apparel on a mission to make cycling more inclusive for women. As an athlete herself, Emily found that cycling is a male-dominated sport, and this is reflected in the clothing. Tune in to find out just what makes PIXI technical, as well as to hear Emily share her experience launching a Kickstarter campaign, manufacturing overseas, and how she patented her special system (called the “tush cush”) for protecting women’s parts. Listen on iTunes Tune in on Stitcher Plus! Emily has generously extended an exclusive offer to Electric Runway listeners… Head to PIXI Cycling to redeem

by Amanda Cosco @ Electric Runway

Fri Sep 15 11:09:28 PDT 2017

On today’s episode of the Electric Runway podcast, fashion tech journalist Amanda Cosco interviews Joy Tang, the founder of Markable. Markable is an advertising technology company on a mission to make all visual content shoppable—from photos to websites and even TV shows. The company leverages artificial intelligence and deep learning to help shoppers find exactly what they’re looking for. The below image demonstrates how Markables’ technology works. On the left, you see current video ads, which are obtrusive and irrelevant for the viewer. On the right, you can see how Markable’s ad experience is directly related to the content being shown (in this case, SJP in Sex and the City). Markable works with both retailers and publishers to create more seamless content marketing experiences. To check out the technology for yourself in a live demo, click here. Tang also shares her story of how she went from a secure, well-paying job to launching Markable. Although she enjoyed her work in finance, she really saw a problem that could be solved in fashion, and she’s confident AI can help. Listen on iTunes Tune in on Stitcher

by Amanda Cosco @ Electric Runway

Thu Sep 14 11:41:32 PDT 2017

Following a few seasons of flashy tech-on-the-runway, New York Fashion Week may have found its footing when it comes to integrating technology into apparel. BY AMANDA COSCO Guests who attended Julianna Bass‘ show at New York Fashion Week on Saturday would be forgiven if they didn’t notice tech on the runway. That’s because the womenswear designer known for her elegant yet powerful silhouettes took a subtle approach to integrating a colour-changing fabric into her Spring Summer 2018 show. Among the presentation of flocked tulle, fluid sheers, and bold piping, two models walked the runway in colour-changing garments. The first was a white, off-the-shoulder dress with structured pleats that changed colour as it made its way down the catwalk. The second was a tulle gown with a tiered ruffle sleeve with similar pleating. The high-accuracy responsive textile was developed in partnership with New York-based company LOOMIA, founded by creative technologist Madison Maxey. The company is quickly making a name for itself as the go-to partner for developing end-to-end solutions for soft goods and apparel. They aim to integrate technology in scalable, comfortable, and repeatable ways. “This is a proof of concept that allows for a high accuracy textile colour change, and is a glimpse into the future of […]

Last week, Estée Lauder, the flagship brand of The Estée Lauder Companies, announced the launch of an augmented reality-based product try-on experience, powered by ModiFace. Users on web and mobile applications can try on product shades on their phone or live video and then shop the products. “We are delighted by our partnership with ModiFace which has resulted in an incredibly realistic and accurate representation of our products through Augmented Reality technology,” says Stephane de La Faverie, Global Brand President. “We are especially delighted that this capability is provided to our consumers across all platforms, including mobile, web, and tablet, directly on the product page where it can make the biggest impact.” The Estée Lauder shoppable AR integration incorporates several technology upgrades, including the latest advances in WebGL technology to create unique virtual surfaces to model the textures and finishes of each of the Estée Lauder shades. It also uses ModiFace’s latest generation facial tracking technology to accurately map the contours of the eyes and lips in live video through any webcam. “Our latest web AR technology combines the latest advances in AI, facial tracking, and computer graphics to result in a realistic, widely usable, and practical application that has been …

by Aaron Gottlieb @ Digiday

Fri Sep 22 09:00:42 PDT 2017

Advertising Week New York 2017 is quickly approaching, and industry execs from all over the world will soon descend on Times Square for five days of panels, networking, events, happy hours and everything in between. And Digiday’s editorial team will be there every step of the way with a special pop-up newsletter.

by Amanda Cosco @ Electric Runway

Mon Sep 11 19:12:31 PDT 2017

Today, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of teachers trying to bring a little bit of the maker movement into their classrooms. We all know STEM (that’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are important, but how can we make these topics more accessible and engaging for students? At the same time, resources like YouTube have made learning more horizontal. How can educators incorporate more multimedia content into their lesson plans? How can we empower youth to become not just passive consumers of media but active creators in shaping it? Today’s talk touched on these and other topics. The presentation was given to the Toronto District School Board alongside Little Dada’s workshop on wearable technology at Raw Finery Studio in Toronto.

by Amanda Cosco @ Electric Runway

Wed Sep 06 16:26:42 PDT 2017

The lazy days of summer are behind us, and September energy is in the air. It’s back to school, back to work, and generally back to real life. If you’ve been putting your wellness on the back burner this past season, a new product from Bellabeat may be just the gadget you need to get on track again. We first wrote about Spring back in June, but yesterday the company announced the limited edition product is now available for pre-order at the cool price of $89. The bottle, which is made of glass, silicone, and BPA-free plastic, is available in two colours—violet ice and fresh mint. The accompanying app promises to track your daily hydration by sending you regular reminders to establish good habits. The app calculates your optimal water intake based on your age, activity, height, weight, and the weather. With companies like Bellabeat coming up with new ways to improve the everyday objects around us, Spring is just one in a series of smart lifestyle products we expect to see released in the coming months.

by Lynn Suhrie @ A Lawyer's Life

Thu Jun 04 18:14:57 PDT 2015

Sitting at the kitchen table with New York Times best-selling author Ayelet Waldman, while her Pulitzer Prize?winning husband, Michael Chabon, whipped up a gourmet dinner, I started buying into ideas […]

It seems that early movers in e-commerce platforms are getting punished for the foresight they had at the start of the decade. Brands that made early speculative bets in developing e-commerce platforms – high scorers ...

by Amanda Cosco @ Electric Runway

Wed Sep 13 14:23:09 PDT 2017

I’m pleased to announce I’ll be interviewing Joe Fresh himself (Joseph Mimran) at Takeover Toronto this coming October. In case you haven’t heard, Takeover Toronto is an innovation conference put together by our friends at TribalScale. You can learn more about it by heading to our events listings or purchase tickets directly from their website. Join me and Joe Mimran, Dragon on CBC’s Dragons Den, as well as the chairman of Gibraltar and Co. and founder of Joe Fresh, as we discuss the future of retail. To view the full schedule, follow the link. See you there!

by Rosena Sammi @ A Lawyer's Life

Wed Jul 20 22:58:38 PDT 2016

Taina Bien-Aim� may have hit the jackpot when it comes to being a minority in an old boys? club: A black, gay, pregnant woman, crusading for social justice and women?s rights at a Wall Street firm 20 years ago.

by Jessica Schiffer @ Digiday

Sun Sep 24 21:00:40 PDT 2017

CollegeFashionista is expanding today with the launch of a digital education platform and fellowship for its 5,000-plus “Style Gurus.” The free courses will explore everything from media to marketing, and will be taught by industry talents from parent company Clique Media Group, WGSN and more.

by Johanne Rasmussen @ Electric Runway

Mon Sep 18 07:58:27 PDT 2017

Did you ever think you’d wear your trash as accessories? w.r.yuma is the definition of a future-focused company. Named after the sunniest place on earth, w.r.yuma pride themselves on being the first company to come up with a way to turn recycled plastic into high-quality sunglasses. With a self-confessed run of more than 1000 printed trial-sunglasses (all for reuse afterwards, of course), w.r.yuma finally perfected the method for 3D-printing sunglasses. The company is working with Better Future Factory (BFF), who is producing fully recycled plastic filaments for 3D-printers, with the same quality of the freshly produced plastic filaments. Better Future Factory has won awards for their environmentally friendly invention, Refil, which even comes in different colours. Engineers at the factory use car dashboards for the black plastic filament, while transparent plastic filament is made from 90% old soda bottles, and even the white detail work on the sunglasses is made from recycled fridges. Not only is 3D-printing futuristic and cool, but it is also environmentally sustainable. By only printing what you need, no excess plastic goes to waste. At w.r.yuma, the process of stopping new plastic from being produced goes way beyond recycling. They see a future where a circular economy is the way […]

by Johanne Rasmussen @ Electric Runway

Tue Sep 12 12:25:43 PDT 2017

When you think of bacteria and sportswear, you might think of a sports bag that should have been washed long ago. A new project out of MIT labs is showing how bacteria-encased textiles can play a role in improving performance by adapting to every sweaty occasion. Bacillus Subtilis is a bacterium found in soil and even humans. Grown for the purposes of research at the MIT labs, the bacterium has the amazing ability to shape-shift in reaction to their surroundings. When exposed to heat and humidity, the bacteria expands, which can be used to trigger movement (in this case, ventilation) in sportswear garments. Researchers at the lab have created latex garments with vents. Each side of the fabric is laced with the bacterium. When heat and humidity form next to the bacteria they expand, creating a surface that opens, like little windows allowing body heat to escape. As we all know, exercising can make body temperatures rise. Sweat is the body’s natural way to cool down, however, a decrease in performance is inevitable. By creating room to get rid of extra heat, an athlete would be able to workout longer and more intensely. MIT is already in talks with New […]